


Meant to Be

by xxDark_Blue



Category: Lore Olympus (Webcomic)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Headcanon, Internal Conflict, hades and Persephone overthink everything, hello I’m new, relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:07:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21757297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxDark_Blue/pseuds/xxDark_Blue
Summary: "That settled it, Hades though as he flew back toward his office in the Underworld. No more of this. He wasn’t going to let this go on any longer. Tonight, he would end things with Minthe. It didn’t matter if the pink Goddess he had been obsessed with was never his, he couldn’t keep up this pretense any longer. "
Relationships: Hades/Persephone (Lore Olympus)
Comments: 60
Kudos: 307





	1. First things First

**Author's Note:**

> I haven’t written any fan fiction in many years, but this was just stuck in my head. We’ll see what happens. Sorry if it’s terrible, I just wanted to give it a go!

Hades picked up the pace, and flew up into the air, taking himself farther away from Artemis’ apartment and leaving that awkward situation behind. He couldn’t believe that he’d been so stupid! Of COURSE There would be a TGOEM meeting, right then. He should have known that the worst place to try to explain to her his feelings was in the den of the maidens. 

Persephone had told him that she was considering leaving TGOEM, yes, but she certainly hadn’t done it yet. His thoughts were a barrage of self inflicted insults. How could he even think of trying to tell her how he felt when she was still an eternal maiden, and he still didn’t have his shit together either. He still had a girlfriend for crying out loud! Seeing Hestia answer the door, and watching himself stammering for a good excuse to be there had slapped some sense into him. If he cared about Persephone even an OUNCE of what he thought he did, he had to do this in the right order. She deserved that. So did he. Even Minthe, the monster that she’d been to him lately. Ugh, Minthe.

That settled it, Hades though as he flew back toward his office in the Underworld. No more of this. He wasn’t going to let this go on any longer. He would end things with Minthe. It didn’t matter if the pink Goddess he had been obsessed with was never his, he couldn’t keep up this pretense any longer. 

A few minutes later, he touched down on the back balcony of his office, and stepped inside. “Hades!!” An angry shriek sounded from the hallway. He flinched as Hecate came storming into the room, waving papers in her fist at him as she charged him. “Do you know how long I have been sitting there listening to people bitching over the most inane and idiotic things that you’re supposed to deal with, while you’ve been off gallavanting in Olympus?!”

“S-sorry about that. Persephone asked me for a favor. I had to take care of a few things.” He stammered. 

“Really? That’s all you can give me after I stuck my neck out for you-”

“Okay! Okay. Persephone found out about the photographer that we...took care of. Sh-She wasn’t happy with me.” He turned away from Hecate. 

“Alex?” Hecate asked. “He called her a tramp in the tabloid. Why on earth was she upset with you?”

“I guess Persephone isn’t the type to respond to ridicule with acts of wrath.” He said flippantly, to hide the actual hurt and stupidity he felt knowing he should have realized that himself from the beginning. She was far too perfect for him. He didn’t mention that the young goddess had thought He’d done it to stroke his ego. Hecate would understand that wasn’t it. Mostly. He had to maintain some sort of order. He was the King after all. 

Hecate thought about that for a moment. “I guess you’re right. I hadn’t thought about it from her perspective. It was a justified reaction to me.”

“She’s young,” He agreed. “She doesn’t see it that way.” He turned back around, and leaned against his desk. Then he blushed. “A-and since I do care about her opinion as my fr-friend, I thought I would meet her halfway.”

That had Hecate laugh out loud. “You returned his eye, didn’t you? Ha! You’re still too soft after all, Aidoneus.”

“She asked me to!” He retorted.

Hecate crossed her arms, and smirked at him. “I thought you were going to put some distance between the two of you?”

At that, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “We talked about that today.”  
Hecate’s expression softened. “And how’d it go?”

“We talked about...about…” His hands went to cover his face. “Ahh, I screwed it up!” He shouted, shoving off his desk and beginning to pace. “She told me that she had feelings for me, and that she was thinking about leaving the maidenhood, but needed space because she needs to think, and- and because I still have a stupid girlfriend!” He was shouting by the end. Thank the Fates his office was fairly sound proof.

Hecate waited patiently for him as he tried to get his thoughts together. He grabbed a paper note off his desk absently, twisting it between his hands and he continued his pacing. He knew what he had to do, knew what he needed to do, but damn if it wasn’t hard. Should he really end the only thing he sort of had going for him, all based on a foolish hope and this feeling eating at his chest? He thought of Kore, her kindness and her thoughtfulness, even toward those she didn’t hold in the highest regard. He thought of their talk in Zeus’ garden, and of the flower she gave him, how her closeness had made him feel something he hadn’t thought himself capable of. And even her strength of being able to tell him how she felt, while still setting a good example for someone like him, who should have known better. He owed her the truth about his feelings. Let the chips fall where they may, and what’s meant to be would be. But first things first. 

He turned to Hecate. “Call Minthe for me, and ask her to arrive at my office tomorrow at 5.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“I’m sure.”


	2. More than a little...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone works through her thoughts, and goes to lunch with a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****Spoilers Warning****
> 
> If you haven’t read up to fast pass episode 91, you may want to wait on this one, to avoid spoilers. 
> 
> I haven’t written anything in a very long time, and this has been stuck in my head. It might be terrible, but we’ll see how it goes!

Persephone made it through her classes the next day managing to avoid most of her classmates. Maybe they were still avoiding her, who knows. Tori was nowhere to be seen, but there was still something off. She could still feel the stares at her back as she studied in the library, but when she turned, everyone was going about their business. She couldn’t decide which was worse, being accused to her face, or being talked about behind her back. But knowing that she’d set at least one thing right made it manageable. 

Hades had actually put the photographer back together for her, simply because she asked! That counted for something, right? 

Persephone sighed, and headed to the front to check out her books and head out. She just couldn’t get the God of the Underworld out of her head, could she?  
She may not know what he really thinks of her, but at least he regarded her enough to honor her request, which by his right as king, he didn’t have to do at all. He wasn’t anything like his brothers, who definitely wouldn’t have lifted a finger to help her. But was that because he liked her, or just because that was the kind of person Hades was?

Her hair twisted around her shoulders as she waited in line to check out, inching slowly towards her back. Their conversation was still eating at her. She had told him her feelings, told him she was having doubts about TGOEM, and had let him know she was flirting with him. But he really hadn’t given her much in return. Sure, he seemed to be attracted to her, with all the soft touches and closeness that they had shared over the course of the past week, but all he’d done was agree that there was something between them. Never what that something was to him. And then he’d so easily agreed to her boundaries, she wondered if she really did mean nothing more than friendship to him. But, that’s what she wanted...right? 

“Miss? Hello?” The nymph running the front desk broke her from her thoughts, pulling her back for a moment.

“Oh! So sorry. Thank you.” She said, handing over the items.

“No problem.” The nymph replied, sounding only slightly annoyed. ‘Sheesh, get it together,’ She thought to herself. 

Persephone left the library, and checked her phone for the time. It was just past noon, and she hadn’t eaten since early this morning. She could go home and grab something, but the thought made her stomach uneasy. She never knew who was going to be there anymore, and all the options seemed unappealing. To say that Artemis was unhappy about Hades being in her home was the understatement of the millennia. 

“If he EVER steps in to this apartment again I will key every car that he owns!!” She had screamed once he, Hestia, and Artemis had left. She proceeded to spend the rest of the night in a fit of wordless rage, growling and cleaning things up so aggressively she broke a few plates. Even the wolf avoided her. Persephone had quietly gone to her room to clean up and hide, and when she had left for class this morning, Artemis was nowhere to be seen. She wasn’t sure if Artemis would be on the hunt or back at home by now. 

Plus, There was always the possibility that Apollo was there…

Persephone shuddered violently at the thought. No, she wasn’t ready to go home yet. 

She went through her small list of contacts until she found the one she was looking for. It rang a few times.

“Helloooo?”  
“Hey Eros, are you busy right now?”

“Not at the moment, no. Something up,Cinnamon Roll?”  
“Would you want to get lunch?” She asked.

“Hmmm,” Eros paused, “I’ve got an hour to spare. Want to meet at that cafe near the campus?”

“Sounds good!” She replied. 

A few minutes later, she sat at a booth tucked in the back of the small cafe just off campus grounds, munching on a salad, and sipping tea, while Eros filled her in on his search for Psyche. 

“I’m just turning up empty! I have no idea where she is, and there’s no WAY I can ask Ma…”

“Why not?” Persephone asked. 

“Oh you poor clueless sweetheart. You think asking Aphrodite what she did with your ex girlfriend that you hid from her after disobeying her is a smart thing to do?”

Fair point. Aphrodite was scary. Beautiful, but scary.  
“Okay, so it’s not that easy, I get it. I’m sorry. I do hope you find her soon though.”

He sighed, “Me too.” Eros took a bite of his panini. “So what’s going on with you? You been doing okay?” 

“I’m doing okay..” Sort of. Her eyes didn’t meet his.

“I figured something had to be up for you to want to get a spur of the moment lunch. Is it about the thing I want you to see my therapist for?”

“No!” She said a little to loud, before composing herself. “No, nothing going on with that.” Though that’s wasn’t strictly true either, but she wasn’t ready to deal with that just yet. 

A smirk spread across Eros’ face. “It’s about Hades, isn’t it?” 

Persephone blushed. Eros nearly jumped out of his seat with his excitement. “It IS about Hades!! Oh my gods, tell me everything! Has anything happened?!”

She hesitated for a moment, but decided maybe telling him would help work out what she was feeling. She checked to make sure no one was close enough to hear their conversation, and then filled Eros in on everything that had happened over the past few days, starting with the flirting in Hera’s garden, and finishing up with their private conversation about their feelings and boundaries. He listened with rapt attention, gasping when she told him about tapping him on the shoulder at dinner; even shouting ‘you did NOT’ when she mentioned the kiss on his cheek. He even squealed when she mentioned their lunch date yesterday, though it ended with that talk, and the hospital, and the weird slide show. 

“Perse, he is SO into you. Why did you tell him to back off?”

“What do you mean why? I’m still an eternal maiden, don’t you remember? And he has a girlfriend! Plus, I can’t seem to get my powers to cooperate for more than ten seconds any more!” 

“That was you yesterday, wasn’t it? All those pink petals and flowers everywhere?” He asked, amusement and concern dancing across his face. 

Horror lit up her wide eyes. “Everywhere?” Eros nodded. Her head fell into her hands. “Ugh, this is getting out of control.”

“What happened, do you think?” Eros asked, sipping his latte. 

“I’m not sure,” she thought back. “Hades and I were at the hospital, and he asked me to wait outside while he helped the photographer. I got curious, and I took a peek and saw…” hmmm…

“Saw what?” Eros leaned forward.

She suddenly had butterflies in her stomach. What she saw had felt— she wasn’t sure she wanted to share. She felt possessive of it. Like it was hers. Strange.  
“Ummm…”

“Just tell me! I’m dying over here!!” He slapped the table for emphasis. 

“Okay, Okay!” She threw her hands up in the air, and then leaned over the table, her voice low. “I saw Hades, using his power, and he looked...different. Like, his skin was deep and dark, with specks of light, like the night sky. It was beautiful. And Powerful. And then I embarrassed myself by completely losing control of my powers. Like, petals were everywhere. I even lost consciousness for a moment.” 

Eros looked a little pale. “You saw him like that, and you weren’t terrified?” 

“No, of course not! Why would I be?” She asked, appalled. “I was more mortified that I lost control afterwards. I just remember feeling all hot and then…”

“You’re telling me that you saw the King of the Underworld, in his full form, and instead of being terrified, you were so turned on you lost control?!” Eros asked incredulously.

“Was not! I mean, I don’t know what happened. It felt like I didn’t have control, like I just reacted.” She leaned back and crossed her arms roughly. “And why would I be terrified of him? He’s my friend!” 

“Because Aidoneus in that form usually means something terrible is about to happen to you. Not to mention, he looks just like Kronos, the most fearsome tyrant Olympus has ever known!” 

“Kronos?” She repeated.

“Gaia! I forget how young you are sometimes. Don’t you know our history?” Eros arched one perfectly groomed eyebrow.

“Of course I do. But why should it matter that Hades looks like his father? It only makes sense.” Persephone asked.

Eros shrugged. “I never said it didn’t, I’m just telling you it scares most people.” 

“It didn’t scare me.” She countered.

“Nope. Just overwhelmed you, apparently.” He still had that stupid smirk. Persephone wished she could wipe it right off his smug face. 

“Just because he looks like him, doesn’t make him anything like Kronos. Hades isn’t this dark, terrifying, womanizing scoundrel people paint him out to be.” Persephone said hotly. “He’s kind and caring. He can be funny, and thoughtful, and he’s a gentleman.” Not to mention handsome. She could look at his dorky face all day long. And those shoulders, wide and strong, that looked incredible in his suits. And his backside…

“Hello! Earth to Persephone!” Eros waved his hand in front of her face. 

“Sorry. What was I saying?” She had lost track.

“You were telling me how wonderful Hades is?” He waggled his eyebrows. 

“Oh, sorry. I just meant he isn’t what everyone says he is. He’s different.” She explained. She fiddled with her food, pushing it back and forth. She wasn’t hungry anymore. 

“You’re probably the only one who sees it.” He grabbed his latte, and downed the rest. “Look, I’m not saying I have anything against Hades. The man is hot. I’m just telling you the general vibe people have about him.” 

“That’s more than a little wrong.” She said, getting angry, her hair beginning to twist. 

“And you’re more than a little in love with him.”

....”Huh?!”


	3. So Many Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone works out her feelings, and receives an invitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****SPOILERS WARNING****
> 
> There are fast pass spoilers, so if you haven't caught up to chapter 91, you might want to sit this one out for a while. :)

“And you’re more than a little in love with him.”

“What?!”

“You heard me.” Eros teased. 

“I am NOT in love with him. That’s ridiculous. I have known him a little over a week.” Persephone argued.

“I didn’t say it wasn’t, I’m just telling you the facts.” He gestured to himself. “God of love over here, remember?” 

“But that’s impossible! You can’t know that yet. I don’t even know what it is I feel yet!” She looked away from Eros, and grabbed her tea, gulping it down while she thought about Eros’ accusation. She knew that these were intense feelings that she had for him, but was that really love? She wasn’t certain. 

“Well, Cinnamon Roll, I’ve got to get going, and I think you’ve got some things to think over.” Eros smiled and stood up, and placed money on the table. But he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before speaking softly. “I know its a lot, and you’ve got a lot going on. But think about what it is you want. Not your mother, not Hades, you. And when you have an answer, act on it, before it's too late.”

What did that mean? 

“Okay.” She tried to smile and wave goodbye to her friend, but it was a pathetic one. She had hoped talking to Eros would help ease her mind like it did before, but now she just felt more confused than ever. As she watched him leave, she thought about what he said. Was she really in love with Hades?

They had a strong connection, certainly. More than anything she had ever felt. More than anyone else here in Olympus, He had made her feel important; like she wasn’t just a dumb village girl. Every second she had with him made her want another.

Nothing compared to how she felt with ‘Him’. Okay, so that in itself told her something. She knew at the very least, she had a big, huge crush on Hades. She now knew that her initial plans of ignoring her feelings till they withered away was not going to be an option. Not when he seemed to overwhelm her every thought. Not when it seemed she couldn’t keep her hands to herself when she was around him, no matter that he had a partner and she was supposed to be an eternal maiden. 

She took one last sip of tea, and blushed. Did she really have to stop touching him? She knew that was what she had requested the last time they talked. It had been her idea to no longer spend time together alone; her idea that there had to be space. 

She hadn’t set that boundary for him; she had set it for herself. When she was alone with him, it felt like there was this pull to him; a tension that only eased when her body came in contact with his. It was more than just her usual overly friendly nature. That scared her more than anything else, and excited her too. They had almost kissed multiple times. She knew she had to put distance between them to keep that from happening, so why couldn’t she stop wondering what He tasted like?

“Stop it.” She commanded herself, shaking her head as if she could force the thoughts out of her mind. She got up, and headed out of the cafe and down the street, her heels clicking as she walked, the sound grounding her to reality. The air was cool with a nice breeze, helping cool down the heat in her cheeks and other places. 

She headed toward home, hoping that luck would be in her favor, and that she would have the place to herself. She used the walk as a distraction, rather than flying, and focused on thinking through her schedule and tasks this week. She had a test in a few days, but she knew the material, so that didn’t bother her. 

What did worry her though was her shift at Underworld Corp tomorrow. She certainly didn’t feel qualified for the position she had been given, despite the fancy business cards. Hecate had promised to walk her through it, but what if she messed up and embarrassed herself? Would she be able to handle it, or would they see right through her?   
She steeled her thoughts. She had come to Olympus to learn to be on her own, and to make her own place in this world. Part of that meant growing thicker skin. Yes, there were a few people who weren’t exactly in her court, but she had people who were. Hecate wouldn’t let her make a fool of herself, and there was always that lovely fury Meg who had been so nice to her. She would have to find a way to return the favor for letting her borrow her mortal realm attire. She was so grateful that she hadn’t looked like a fool in front of Hades.   
The thought of how Hades had looked that day made all those fluttering feelings surge right back, and she could feel warmth pooling in her belly.

“Sugar snaps!” She shouted, tugging at her hair before realizing people were watching. She smiled and laughed awkwardly, and waved hello, before retreating down the road that led to Artemis’ apartment. 

Thankfully, the coast was clear, and no one but Retsina was home. Persephone marched up to her room, and plopped on to the bed.   
“Oh Retsina,” she sighed as he scratched the cat behind the ears, “What a mess.” Her thoughts felt like a hurricane in her mind, stirring her up until she felt dizzy.

But of all the uncertainty of the past day, one thing firmly settled in her mind. She needed to break ties with TGOEM, and fast. Not that she didn’t like them, she just simply didn’t match the criteria, in multiple ways. It was all she could think about during the presentation yesterday. She didn’t feel like she stood for the same things they did, nor did she want the same things. She wanted to do good, but she wanted to do it her way. And choosing to leave felt like the one decision that was truly hers. 

She wasn’t sure if what she was feeling was love, despite what Eros said, but she knew she wanted to explore it. Whether it was with Hades or eventually someone else that she had these feelings for, she liked having them, and didn’t want to live an eternity trying to stuff them down.

Her internship would help her pay pack her scholarship, certainly, but it would take months of savings. A few days ago, that seemed fine, but with her feelings getting stronger, Eros’ proclamation, and her firm decision, that didn’t seem like soon enough. She knew he was at least a little interested in her, but would he be in a few months? Would he still have a girlfriend in a few months?

What were his words yesterday?

“ I really, really don’t want you to apologize for what we have.” He had said. 

What was it that they had?

Did he want to explore it with her?

So many questions.

Her cell phone rang, making her jump right out of her skin. She pulled it out of her bag, checking the caller ID. Private number.   
Nervously, she answered it. “Hello?”

A syrupy voice she didn’t recognize dripped through the speaker. “Is this Miss Persephone?”

“Yes, this is her.”

“Oh, I’m so glad I caught you, honey. This is Hades’ temporary assistant. I’m calling because Hades has informed me that there is a rather urgent matter he needs to discuss with you.” The voice informed her.

Persephone paused. “Urgent? Is everything alright?”

“Yes, yes, everything is fine. He just said that it was important, and that He would like to finish his discussion from yesterday. He didn’t give me details, but that there were some things he needed to tell you. Would you be available for dinner tonight?”

Things he needed to tell her? Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. She knew that he must have come back to the apartment yesterday for a reason, but he’d never gotten the chance to tell her what it was. Suddenly, she felt warm all over. What if...what if he felt the same way she did? What if he had broken things off with her? One more meeting couldn’t hurt, right? They’d go back to being distant tomorrow. She shouldn’t…

“I could do dinner tonight.” She found herself saying. 

“Perfect, please arrive at his office at 5pm tonight. Thank you!” The syrupy voice said. 

“Thank you!” Persephone replied.

In a swanky apartment across Olympus, Thetis hung up the burner phone, took a swig of her white zin, and winked at a very angry Minthe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not quite happy with how persephone works this out, but it was getting too long, and I wanted to get to the plot, so.....meh. Here she is. Told you its been a while since I've written anything, shaking the dust off!


	4. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Minthe and Thetis scheme.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****Spoiler Warning****
> 
> Just so you know, if you haven’t read up to chapter 91, you probably want to skip out for now. :)

******earlier that same day******

Minthe had been moping and staying at Thetis’s place ever since she had been escorted off the premises at Underworld Corp. She hadn’t wanted to be alone in her apartment; alone with her thoughts. She disgusted herself, the way she had acted. The way he’d barely fought back. He should have! He should have screamed, gotten angry, something. Why couldn’t she stop herself?

Why was she like this?

Part of this was his fault. He should have known she couldn’t do this whole relationship thing right. She wasn’t that type of person, he knew that. Yet he still expected it of her, that asshole. And the nerve of him! Acting as if he was better than her? As if he weren’t just as messed up? Telling her she needed better friends, like she didn’t know. Like he didn’t also make shitty choices in people to be around. After all, he was dating her. 

Thetis hadn't helped either, filling her head with horrific ideas. As if the bitch hadn’t added to the situation. She had a way of making her feel like utter shit, all the while acting as if she was helping. 

“Perhaps he’s grown tired of you, dear. I mean, you did stand him up. Poor thing, you look absolutely wretched. Maybe you should lie low till you’re looking a little better. No need to talk to him looking like that.” 

But then, last night, she’d gotten that call from Hecate. At first, she hadn’t wanted to answer. The last thing she needed was more shit from that over-manicured harpy. But ultimately, she had decided it would be more trouble in the end not to answer, so she picked it up. 

“Yes?” 

“Minthe, Hades has requested that you meet him tomorrow evening at his office to discuss some things privately.” Hecate said with her usual authoritative air.

At first, Minthe panicked. “Am I fired?” She nearly shouted.

A sigh, then Hecate, sounding annoyed. “No. No I don’t think so, but Hades would like to talk to you. I don’t know more than that. Can you be there at 5?”

“Why didn’t he call me himself then?” She asked defensively. 

“Because he is overworked this evening, and said He’d speak to you tomorrow.” She answered back, just as defensive. Hecate was like that though, protecting Hades like she was one of his guards dogs along with Cerberus. 

Fine, so Hades was pissed, but he’d talk to her. She could work with that. 

“Tell him I’ll be there at 5.” He answered. 

“Good.” Hecate quipped, then hung up. 

Minthe breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled.

She knew he’d come back. He always came back. He had to.

Thetis and Minthe had celebrated with going shopping on the company card for the perfect dress (and lingerie).

This morning, they had slept in. Thetis had a day off, and had gone out to get them both breakfast. She had complained that Minthe had eaten everything out of the fridge. Minthe stayed behind to pamper herself, and get ready for her reunion that evening. 

She was gone longer than was really necessary to grab breakfast and lattes, and Minthe was wondering if her friend was even coming back with food at all, until Thetis came bursting in the front door, with the most peculiar look on her face. Whatever is was, it wasn’t good.

“Oh, darling, I have some real tough news for you.” She said as she slapped the food down on the counter none too gently. “It might be tough to swallow.” 

Oh no. Had she seen Hades? Had something changed? Was he with that stupid pink—

“Just spit it out.” Minthe ground out. 

Thetis handed her a latte, and leaned against the counter in glee. This girl lived on gossip.

“So I was out at that cafe you know I love, and while I was checking out, I happened to look over and see Eros, the god of love, talking very close with none other than the goddess of spring, that little tart you've been so worried about. So, as your dear friend, I just had to take a closer look. And you’ll be so glad I did.”

The more that came from Thetis’ mouth, the more Minthe felt as if she might burst into flames.

This. Bitch.

Persephone thought she was in LOVE with him? After knowing him for less than two weeks? Who in the hell did she think she was? And she had been flirting with him. All week. And he’d come on to her too, she knew. She told him to back off, my ass. Little tramp was probably trying to save face. Even after Hades and Minthe had discussed exclusivity, he had been spending alone time with her, doing gods knew what! She probably crawled all over him, leading on HER man, wrapping him around her stupid, pink finger. He probably loved it, sick pervert. Right now, he was probably...oh no. 

Suddenly, it hit her. That Asshole! Angry tears started to streak down her cheeks as she paced. “He’s going to break up with me tonight. That’s why he wanted to meet with me tonight! I’m going to kill him!” She growled, jumping up from her chair at the kitchen table. She slammed her hands on the wood surface. “He thinks he can just go behind my back! Oh wait till I see him tonight.”

Thetis’s smile grew and her eyes sparkled with fiendish delight. “Oh you poor thing. I would feel positively wretched, knowing my man has been consorting behind behind my back with a conniving goddess like that. She is so pretty and pathetic, she probably has all the men in Olympus wrapped around her finger, except for Zeus, of course. But dear friend, I have a solution for you.” 

“A solution?” 

“You need to show her who’s boss. Show her that Hades is not hers to play with. And I’ve got the perfect idea.” 

Minthe, though livid, was intrigued. “What do you have in mind?”

“Can you get access to her information?” Thetis asked.

“Why?” She countered, confused.

“Because we’re going to make sure that she’s there when you are with Hades tonight. We’re going to make sure that when she gets there, that there will be no doubt who Hades belongs to.” Thetis replied.

Her anger began to burn into possessiveness. She smirked wickedly. “I have access.”

She was suddenly so glad she’d thrown that fit at Hades to let her work from home that time after a fight, and made him give her remote access to the servers, so she could hide her hangover when she didn’t feel like coming in. 

“I have the password. Hold on.” She went to Thetis’s computer in her office, and pulled up the company website, and logged in. It only took a moment to find the employee directory. “There she is.”

Thetis’s smile grew wicked. “I’ll have to do it dear. She’ll know your voice right away.” She pulled out the burner phone she’d gotten to send Hera those photos. 

She typed in the phone number, and waited as the phone rang. A gratingly sweet voice drifted through the phone. “Hello?”

“Is this Miss Persephone?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a hard time getting into Minthe’s headspace, and she came out pretty self loathing, and a little disconnected. But it worked for where I was trying to go? Idk... next chapter goes more into the good stuff. :)


	5. The misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades was shocked. The last thing he expected was for her to take his invitation this way. He tried to clear his throat as he stared wide-eyed at her, all of the words he’d planned slipping way. It was all the invitation Minthe needed.

Chapter 5

“Do you need anything else before I head out for the day?” The familiar voice came from the open door of his office. Hades looked up from his paperwork to see Hecate striding towards him. 

He checked his watch, then glanced back at her, eyebrow raised. “It’s four fifteen. Your leaving early?” 

She chuckled. “I want to be around when Minthe gets here just about as much as you do. Lucky for me, I don’t have to be.”

He sighed, and rifled through the papers he had been reading. He pulled a few from the stack and held it out for her. “If you could take these to the front desk on your way out, I’d appreciate it. And go ahead and make sure this floor is clear, if you could.”

“You betcha.” She grabbed the paperwork and headed briskly toward the door, but paused as she reached the exit. “Hades, good luck tonight.”

“Thanks.” He replied with a sad smile. She closed the door, and he could hear her giving orders for employees to leave early. 

The office grew still and quiet. The dark, monochrome space stretched into a comfortable silence, giving him peace enough to try and gather his courage. It wasn’t that he was incapable of handling his own business, he wasn’t Zeus for crying out loud. But he was afraid. He was afraid that she would use his darkness against him, yet again. That she would convince him that being with the wrong person was better than having no one at all, as he had believed for centuries. It was also that fear that indicated he was doing the right thing.

He wanted to do this as quickly and professionally as possible, but he knew it would be a hard task. His feelings were a muddied stream. Words slipped in and out of his mind like water, rushing through him and away before he could construct them into something coherent. How on earth was he supposed to say this? He ran his hands through his hair.

_Tadpole, this isn’t working._

_We bring out the worst in each other._

_I can’t pretend anymore…_

The knock on the door startled him so much he jerked up out of his chair. He checked his watch again, its face reading ten minutes till. She was never early for anything. Odd. He shook his head as if to clear away his anxiety. It was now or never. “Come in.” He called.

The moment Minthe stepped in, Hades could tell she was itching for trouble. Her hair was slicked back straight, spilling down her back. She wore a long black coat that trailed to her high heeled shoes, and her smile held nothing but mischief. “Hey, Big Blue.”

“Minthe.” He said, already wary. He turned away from her to head for the decanter of whiskey near the leather couch in the corner of the room, and poured himself a glass. “You’re early. Thank you for coming.”

He took a sip, and felt far more steady. “You and I have a few things to talk about.” He began. 

He turned around… and nearly choked on the burning alcohol as he took in the sight in front of him. All his steadiness left him. Minthe had taken off her jacket. Beneath that, she wore a black slip the barely passed her hips, with a delicate lace hem contrasting against her skin. The plunging neckline left almost nothing to the imagination, and anyone could tell she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. 

“Aren’t you going to offer me any?” She asked, her voice low and husky.

•••

Tower One seemed taller than usual. It’s gleaming black surface stretched impossibly into the indigo sky of the underworld, blending in with the sky at the very top, exactly where Persephone needed to go. 

She smoothed out her dress, a white, figure hugging number, with a lace overlay, the hem just above her knees. Long lace sleeves covered her arms, leaving little protection from the chill, but she thought it made her look elegant and more mature. Her hair was pulled up in a chignon, with a few stray curls framing her face. Forget me nots and pomelia nested gently on her head, almost like a flower crown, and a light pass of lipgloss gave her lips a deeper blush of color. 

She had spent the last few hours agonizing over her feelings, and fretting about what to wear to dinner tonight. She wasn’t sure if it was a date, or if he just wanted to talk, nor did she know what to do about the revelation she had uncovered earlier with Eros. Both the evening and her wardrobe had been a daunting challenge, but she had made a decision on both accounts. 

She was going to ask Hades how he felt about her. Foolish or not, her heart ached to know. Needed to know. He certainly must be attracted to her, with how much flirting had ignited between them. He cared about her too. He was always there for her when she needed him, like shelter in a storm. Though Olympus had not been kind to her since she arrived, he had been the shining exception. But was that just friendship, or could it be more?

Did he notice how she fit so perfectly with him when they hugged? Or how he made her feel like she mattered, unimportant goddess that she was? Did lightning crackle through him when they touched, like it did to her?

She knew he was with Minthe, but it certainly wasn’t a healthy relationship, from what she’d seen. If he felt for her even remotely what she felt for him, right or wrong, she could wait until he sorted things out. 

There was still the issue of TGOEM, and Apollo (which make her sick to even think about), but maybe, if he cared for her too, they could work things out together. The thought sent butterflies all through her stomach. 

Time to be brave.

She took a deep breath, and entered the front doors, striding towards the elevator briskly, before she lost her nerve. She tapped the button, settled into the elevator, and began her ascent.

•••

Hades was shocked. The last thing he expected was for her to take his invitation this way. He tried to clear his throat as he stared wide-eyed at her, all of the words he’d planned slipping way. It was all the invitation Minthe needed. 

She looked up at him through her lashes, and walked up to him, taking the glass of whiskey from his frozen grasp and taking a long sip. “I’m glad you asked me to come.” she purred. “We have a lot to make up for.” Her open hand splayed across his chest, and she reached behind him to set the glass down, pressing her body against him. 

Hades gulped, trying to get his bearings. “Th-that’s not what I meant when I asked you to meet me.” He said, his words strained.

Minthe laughed throatily, “Why else would you have asked me here, other than for a little makeup session? Asking me to come after hours, making it look all official.” 

Hades blanched. “That’s not what I—“ 

She cut him off with a finger to his lips. Then, her hand trailed up from his chest and she coiled her arms around his neck. She leaned in until her lips were against his ear. “I can’t even recall how many times you’ve ravished me over your desk, or how many times you’ve begged for it in that chair. Let’s add another one, shall we?” 

He had to stop her. Now. This is not what he wanted. Couldn’t she see that? He took a deep breath, and gently but firmly grabbed her by the shoulders, setting her back a few inches. He clambered desperately for the words he had practiced earlier. “Tadpole,” he tried again, “this isn’t working.” 

Before he could continue, she tilted her head to the side, and raked her gaze slowly down his frame, taking him in. “Your right. Something just isn’t right.” She said. Her shoulders heaved with a sigh under his large hands. Then, before he could blink, She grabbed the front of his shirt and tore it open. 

He stumbled backwards, catching the back of the table and knocking the whiskey glass to floor with a crash. Gods above and below! He panicked. Say something Hades, anything! 

Minthe’s lips crashed down on his. He grabbed her shoulders once more to push her away, when a sliver of doubt stayed his hands. For a moment, he didn’t do anything. Minthe, for better or for worse, had been his partner on and off for years. For one second, he gave into the familiarity and let it happen. His eyes fell closed. He could grant her one last moment before hurting her, couldn’t he?

A small sound came from the doorway. A sharp exhalation of breath. Then, a soft, trembling voice. “Oh.”

Everything in him broke apart. He knew that voice.

He tore away from the nymph in front of him, and turned to Persephone, who was standing in the doorway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really nervous about this one. Would love to hear what you thought. :)


	6. The break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is pretty heavy. It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. But it will!! Thank you Myth_is_a_mirror for your help!!

Chapter 6

Several seconds went by with no one saying a word. Persephone stared at him with a mixed look of shock and horror. Say something! 

A soft sound escaped him, barely a disturbance of the air, but it was a sound of pure agony. His mind felt frozen. 

He knew Minthe had kissed him in front of Persephone before, but this was so much worse. He could see the hurt in her face, and sadness filled him. _Oh no, sweetness. It’s not what it looks like._ He needed to try to explain, but he struggled with speech. 

“K-kore,” he stammered. “I can—“ 

Minthe whipped around from her position, just noticing the other woman in the room. Her hands planted on her hips, and her nose crinkled as if she smelled something rotten. “Excuse me, but what are you doing here?” 

The young goddess flinched as if she’d been struck. “I, um, I thought..” Her voice trailed off, as if her words had left her. 

Minthe lifted her chin. “If there’s something you need, surely it can wait until work hours, when it’s more appropriate. As you can see, we’re a little busy here.”

Persephone nodded slightly, eyes wide, lips parted and trembling. Then she turned around and bolted back towards the elevator. 

Finally, Hades shot into action. He darted after her. “Persephone, wait!” 

He was too late. The goddess had darted into the opening elevator. Arms outstretched, he tried to reach the door before it sealed shut, but he halted when he finally registered a sound coming from behind him. Laughter.

He turned back around, to see Minthe, through the door to the office, with a smug, tight lipped smile, laughter shaking her frame. 

Realization hit him, followed by a seething flash of anger. “You knew she’d be here. You planned for her to see that.” Now it made sense why she had practically thrown herself at him, despite his coldness. 

Her lips curled into something that was not quite a smile. “Of course I did. What did you expect me to do? Just let her keep crawling all over you?” She scoffed. 

“What on earth are you talking about?” He asked, his body growing rigid. 

“You think I don’t know what you two have been up to? Your late night phone calls, your little rendezvous in Zeus’ garden?” Her tone was mocking.

Where did she hear that? If Zeus had said something to Thetis, he would kill his brother. Fire crackled in his chest as he stalked towards her. “I don’t know who told you that, but nothing happened that concerns you.” He growled, “You don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

It was mostly true, nothing had happened. They had talked, and flirted a little, but nothing that should have Minthe like this. Persephone had said they had a connection, but that was something only he had heard. He was sure of that, since he was in control of that pocket realm he used for solitude. Which meant someone was spreading lies and gossip. He would find out who, he vowed.

She continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “And then you don’t even have the balls to ask me to come here yourself. Of course I knew you were going to try to break up with me. This isn’t the first time we’ve done this, you know.”

She closed the distance between the two of them and laid her hand on his chest. “You need to remember that I’m the best thing you’re going to get. I mean, who else is going to love the King of Death?” 

He knocked her hand aside, none too gently. “You had no right to do that to her.” His tone, full of menace, should have given her warning; She should have seen his skin begin to darken.

But she kept going, kept pushing. She stamped her feet, screaming in his face. “I had every right! Perhaps you’ve forgotten, being preoccupied with your perverted delusions, but you need me. Do you know what I put up with to be with you? Do you really think she actually wants to be with _you_?” 

“Shut up.” He growled. Minthe didn’t notice His body start to crackle and spark; didn’t notice how the room grew several degrees colder. 

“I bet you gave her the internship so you could leer over the ass she practically flaunts in front of you. She’s only coddling up to you for the publicity and the cock ride. You know those maidens never stick to that stupid program! That little pink slut thinks that she can get something out of this—“

“DON’T YOU DARE SAY ANOTHER WORD.” A voice exploded from him like a thunderclap, far different than the one he’d used a moment ago. He could feel his eyes turn black as the abyss, the glaring white pupils casting a sinister glow on Minthe’s horrified face. She stumbled backwards from the monster before her. 

Waves of bright sapphire smoke emanated from him. His dark hair waved and curled in tendrils like venomous serpents. And his skin, he could see as he strode forward with his finger aimed at her in warning, was a vast and horrible celestial expanse. Bright flickers of stars danced across his skin, illuminating the room. It moved and churned, alive with the divine justice of the underworld. 

“If I ever hear you speak of her in such a way again, you will dearly regret it.” His voice echoed against the office floor and walls. “This is between you and I. And I’m telling you we’re through. I am done.” 

Tears sprung from Minthe’s eyes, and she started to tremble. “But you’re all I have. You’re mine. You said you wanted me.” 

Hades stopped, all the anger leaving him. The dark swirls and gleaming specks of stars faded from his skin, and his eyes lightened, shifting away from searing rage until there was nothing left but pity. 

“I lied.” He told her softly. She flinched as if he’d slapped her. 

He tried to reach out to her, but she recoiled, her lips pressed into a fine line as she continued to cry. 

“You and I tried to make this work because we are both desperate to feel something other than loneliness. But the truth is that desperation is unsustainable.” He looked into her eyes, hoping she could see his sincerity. “I’m so sorry.”

Minthe pushed past him without a word, and headed for the exit. 

Hades stumbled over and collapsed onto the leather couch, feeling the emptiness in his stomach uncurl to fill his whole body. 

He let out a shaking breath, and buttoned up his shirt, which still hung open. He lay back on the couch.

He felt every bit the monster Minthe saw in him, losing control like that. Though oddly, he didn’t regret it. She had made him hurt Persephone, and he would not forgive that. 

_Oh Kore..._

He needed to fix this. Now.


	7. What friends are for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Persephone, regardless of what you saw, shouldn’t you talk to him before jumping to conclusions?” Eros tried again.
> 
> “Trust me, this is the right conclusion.” She said a little sharply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all. Sorry its been a while. Its been a rough week. 
> 
> Would love your thoughts and feedback. :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Have to get away. 

Persephone ran. She couldn’t help it. Gods! Why couldn’t she help it?

Seeing him there, like that...it was as if someone had cracked her ribs wide open. His hands on her shoulders, kissing her lips. His chest bare, shirt torn open. She’d always wondered what lay beneath all that expensive fabric, and now she’d gotten her wish thrown back at her in some twisted sick form that made her wish she’d never wanted it at all. 

Her surroundings flashed through her mind in a jumbled mess, her body moving forward on instinct. Her breath stuttered and hitched in her lungs, and she grabbed at her chest as if she could make her heart stop aching. Tears fell down her face in hot streaks, and she lost feeling in her fingers. She stumbled backwards against something cool and hard. A wall, she was pretty sure. 

Blood pounded in her ears as images assaulted her again. The lipstick smear on his face. The shock and what she could only imagine was pity as he looked at her. She never wanted to see that look on his face again. She didn’t know if she could ever face him again. Breathing was hard. Really hard. She pressed her face into her hands until it hurt as she tried to dispel the images that assaulted her mind. 

The elevator shrieked in a sharp mocking tone and alerted her that she had arrived at the first floor. She didn’t even remember the ride down. She burst through its opening doors like a rocket, needing to move. Her vision was disfigured, objects moving too quickly past for her to focus. Vaguely she knew she was flying, but she didn’t know where. She just kept moving. 

Eventually, as she flew farther away, her body grew tired, and her head felt dizzy from the lack of oxygen. Her breathing was still too irregular, and she touched down to catch her breath and her bearings. She looked around frantically at first, but when she nearly fell over, she slowed. Fates, she hoped no one was around. 

Dark, unfamiliar streets and city buildings rose on all sides. There was no one around, thank Gaia for small favors, but Persephone also had no idea where she was. The panic that was still coursing through her threatened to take full control again. She could feel thorns pricking her scalp, and she could see red in the corner of her vision. But light continued to grow, now tinged with orange and pink. 

She turned sharply, realizing that what she was seeing wasn’t solely the red of her powers run amok, but the rays of a sunset glowing dimly down the path of a street to her right. That could only mean one thing. “Olympus.” She said to herself. Her voice sounded scratchy, like sandpaper on wood. She began to head down the street, the light growing stronger the closer she got. After a few blocks and street corners, she could see the entrance into Olympus. Relief began to grow in her. 

As she got closer to the guard at the gate, he looked at her with dismay. “Are you okay ma’am? Is everything alright?” Confusion struck her, until she caught sight of her reflection in the window of one of the buildings as she walked by. Wow. She was a mess. Her hair, that just minutes ago was elegantly pinned fell down her back in long tangles and thorny vines. Her eyes were puffy and swollen, a red tinge around her irises, and thick, black lines of mascara ran down her face. 

Her cheeks flushed even more with embarrassment as she turned towards the guard again. “Just having a really bad day.” She told him. She couldn’t go walking through the streets of Olympus like this. She couldn’t stand the thought of even more people than necessary seeing her like this. She picked up her phone, and made a call. 

“Evening, Cinnamon Roll,” Eros answered. “Two calls from you in one day! What scandalous thing can I help you with this time?”

Her voice was small. “Can- can you come get me?” She asked, her breath hitching again.  
Eros instantly grew serious. “Of course, honey. Where are you?”

•••

The only sound was the purr of the vehicle’s engine, and the occasional sniffs as Eros drove Persephone towards the apartment she shared with Artemis. 

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Eros asked after the first few minutes of silence. He had graciously come to pick her up from the entrance to the underworld, no questions asked. If there was any doubt in her mind that Eros was a true friend, it had been fully dispelled after today. That didn’t mean she wanted to tell him. Part of her blamed him for this, saying Hades was into her, and encouraging her to act on her feelings. 

Which was stupid. It wasn’t his fault. He was just trying to help. It was her fault for mistaking his intentions. He probably had invited her to dinner to tell her he wasn’t interested in being more than friends. He was such a gentleman, she bet that he had come back yesterday to let her down easy, and didn’t want to embarrass her in front of Hestia. Her fault for showing up early and seeing...

“I don't really want to talk about it.” she settled on saying. Though she had had some time to calm down and get herself under control, she still hadn’t been able to control her tears, which had been falling sporadically since she had left the underworld. She felt stupid for crying, but she couldn’t help it. 

A few more minutes passed. Then, her sadness got the better of her. “You were wrong, Eros. He doesn’t want me.” She murmured.

“Oh, Persephone.” Eros replied, his tone soothing. “Did he say that?”

“He didn’t have to.” Persephone sniffed. Eros reached over and rifled through the glove box until he found some tissues, and handed them over. “I saw...He...and Minthe…” she blew her nose into the tissue. 

“Together?” He asked. Persephone nodded.

Eros put his hand over her knee in a comforting gesture. “I’m sorry Cinnamon.” Another few moments went by, and then his brows drew together. “Why were you going to his office this late in the evening, if you don’t mind me asking? Were you planning on having a heart to heart so soon?”

Of course it was too soon, which was why she now felt so stupid. But the phone call had gotten her so excited. “I received a phone call from his new assistant saying he wanted to talk to me about our conversation from earlier this week. She said we were supposed to have dinner. I was supposed to meet him there, but then when I saw them together… Minthe told me that I should leave. I just.. panicked and ran.”

“Hmm.” Eros looked at her, then back at the road. “Why would you be invited over if he already had company?”

“Maybe she surprised him. Maybe he forgot.” She said glumly. 

“Maybe.” Eros didn’t sound convinced. But it didn’t matter to her if he had forgotten or not. The outcome was the same. Hades wasn’t hers, would never be hers. She was still training to be a maiden, whether she fit the criteria or not. This shouldn’t have been a surprise. She knew it from the first. She was just some minor goddess, and she had nothing to offer him. 

“Persephone, regardless of what you saw, shouldn’t you talk to him before jumping to conclusions?” Eros tried again.

“Trust me, this is the right conclusion.” She said a little sharply. “You weren’t there. She was all over him. When she told me to leave, he didn’t say anything.” 

She sniffed, and wiped at her eyes with a sigh. “Anyways, it’s probably better like this. I have my answer. I’m just an intern; just a spring goddess. He was just humoring me, and it’s my fault I mistook his actions for something more.” 

“So what are you going to do?” Eros asked. 

“I need the internship, so I’m not going to give up on that. I still want to figure out what I’m going to do about the maidenship. I just don’t know what I’m going to do about this.” She gestured to herself in an all encompassing circular motion. Her breath hitched and more tears welled up in her eyes. 

“For now, let’s just get you home, and in bed, okay?” The car had slowed, and Persephone realized they had pulled up in front of Artemis’ apartment. A light was on, meaning that Artemis was home. The lack of another vehicle hopefully meant that she was home alone. 

How would she explain this to Artemis?The goddess of the hunt would never understand. She didn’t even know what had happened with her brother. 

Eros shifted towards her, seeing the look of panic on her face, and a small close lipped smile stretched his face, concern still his eyes. “Want me to walk you inside?” 

She nodded her head in a small quick movement. Eros turned and got out of the car and walked around to her side. He helped her out of the car, a comforting arm around her shoulders, and walked her to the front door. 

She fumbled for her key, and opened the door. The living room was clean and dimly lit, the glow from the kitchen it’s only source of light. It’s usual sparse decor all put back in place after the meeting yesterday. Artemis’ wolf was stretched out on the sectional, licking its paws. It paid no attention to Persephone and Eros and they entered. 

Persephone could hear the clanging of pots, and the sound of running water. The faucet clicked off, and the rustling paused. “Persephone, is that you?” 

Artemis stepped through the kitchen entrance, and stiffened when she saw Eros. “Why does no one respect the no men rule in this house?” She asked irritated. 

“Relax, Artemis. I’m not coming in, just making sure she made it home safe. She’s had a rough day.” Eros explained. 

Artemis looked down at Persephone, finally seeing how miserable She looked, and concern spread across her features. “Persephone, what happened? Are you ok?” She walked over to her, and came to see if she was hurt. 

“I’m okay, Artemis. Really. I just want to go to bed.” She said, her voice sounding weak. 

When she was satisfied that nothing physical afflicted her friend, she turned to Eros, her eyes narrowing. “This isn’t your fault again, is it?” 

“Again? No! I just brought her home when she called me to pick her up!” Eros defended himself.

“From where?” Artemis fired back. 

“Look,” Persephone interrupted, her voice gaining strength as she gave Eros a look to be quiet. “I’m just tired, I’ve had a rough day, and I don’t want to talk about it. Eros gave me a ride home, because I didn’t want to walk or fly. That’s all.” 

“Will you just tell me what’s wrong?” Artemis asked, her eyes giving away the hurt she felt. 

Persephone sighed, and gave her friend a sad smile. “Artemis, I will, but could it wait till morning? I really just want to get some rest right now.” That would give her time to come up with something that she could tell Artemis. She didn’t want to lie, but her friend wouldn’t understand if she knew the whole story. 

Artemis paused for a moment, then gave in. “That’s fine. We can talk in the morning.” 

Persephone turned to Eros, and gave him a hug, squeezing hard. “Thanks for the ride. I’ll talk to you later?” 

“Of course, Cinnamon.” He said, squeezing back. “Sleep well.” Then he turned and left, with a wave of a hand toward Artemis. 

Artemis turned, and put a hand on Persephone’s shoulder, and guided her towards the kitchen. “Let’s get that hair cleaned up, okay?” 

“Sounds good to me.”

An hour later, she collapsed into bed. Her hair had been trimmed short, thanks to her roommate, and she had taken a long, hot shower. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she could feel her muscles finally release the tension she had been holding since the traumatic incident earlier that evening. It wasn’t even close to her usual bedtime, but she easily drifted into sleep. 

•••

Eros parked his ma’s car out in the drive, and headed inside. The house and living area seemed to not be in too much of a disarray, which was always a win. Storge and Pragma were playing on the floor of the living room with a puzzle, Storge’s hamster happily chewing on the pieces. Philautia, Ludia, and Philia were staring wide-eyed at some movie playing on the screen, while Agape lay on the floor, propped up on her elbows, engrossed in her cell phone. 

“Agape, where’s Ma?” He called, as he walked towards the kitchen. 

“She’s with Aries.” She answered, not looking up from her phone. “Mania is already asleep. Ma put on a movie to shut up the others, and then she went out.”

“She left you alone?” He knew Agape was capable, although disconnected, but still. He opened the fridge, grabbing the leftover chicken from yesterday. 

“She knew you were almost home, stupid.” Agape answered. He couldn’t see her, but he knew she was probably rolling her eyes. 

“Brat.” He said quietly as he heated the chicken in the microwave. 

“Heard that.” She called. 

He chuckled and continued to prep his dinner. That feeling in his gut wouldn’t go away though. Something about the whole ordeal with Persephone didn’t sit right with him. Like, why on earth would Hades invite her to dinner and then get it on with Minthe? His great uncle wasn’t normally that clueless. And why wouldn’t he call her himself? He has her number in his phone. And he KNEW that they texted each other. His friend was not good at hiding her facial expressions. 

The microwave beeped, and he grabbed his plate of food and walked back into the living room. He moved over to the couch, and shoved his way in between his siblings. “Hey!” Philia shouted in protest, pushing him back to no avail. 

“Oh hush. Don’t wake Mania.” He told her, taking a bite. “What are we watching?” He asked. 

“Don’t chew with your mouth full. Ma says”

“Like you don’t do it every time, kid. What are we watching?” He took another bite. 

“How to train your griffin.” Ludia replied, eyes unwavering from the creatures on the screen. 

“Not again.” Eros sighed, and then pulled out his phone, checking fatesbook. He scrolled through his feed aimlessly, still thinking. He had to get to the bottom of this. That’s what friends were for, right? 

An idea popped into his head. Yes! He searched through his friends list, searching for just the right person. On Thursdays, Eros has a yoga class at this little swank place in Olympus, and one of the girls he always traded goss with was this adorable blue nymph with a cute short hairdo named Krystal, who he remembered worked the front desk on the main floor of Underworld Corp. 

There! He found her profile, and, of all the luck, she was online! He sent her an IM. 

_Eros: Hey girl!! How’s it going?_

After another few bites of chicken, she responded. 

_Krystal: OMG!! I’m doing good, how are you._

_Eros: Oh, you know, fabulous! ;) I have a quick question for you._

_Krystal: Ask away!_

_Eros: What’s the name of Hades’ new assistant? Asking for a friend._

A few seconds went by. 

_Krystal: Oh, he hasn’t hired anyone yet. Did you hear something? Was thinking of applying for it myself. Better view up there ;)_

Eros’ eyes opened wide at that. His smile froze in place. 

Interesting.

Someone was in deep shit, and He was going to find out who. 

He took another bite before messaging Krystal back.


	8. A learning experience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally was able to eek something out. Maybe I've turned a corner?
> 
> Thank you so much Tiff for helping me with edits!

Chapter 8

Warmth on her cheek woke Persephone from her slumber. Groggily, she rolled onto her back and stretched, arms reaching out and above her head. One eye peeked open, squinting from the bright sunshine spilling through the window. She sighed, enjoying the first quiet moments of the morning, until she realized her alarm should have gone off far before the sun was able to rise to this height.

She rolled over, and glanced at the numbers on her digital clock. A few seconds ticked by as realization hit, and she shot out of bed like a cannon, racing to her closet. She had about ten minutes to get out the door for her shift at Underworld Corp.

Barely looking, Persephone grabbed a dress and some underwear and bolted into the bathroom. She silently thanked her roommate for cutting her hair short yesterday, making at least one part of this morning easier. She smoothed out any flyaways, dressed, and flew out of her room at a breakneck speed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Artemis jump, nearly throwing the frying pan she held in terror. 

“What in Tartarus!” she screeched. 

“Sorry! Late for my internship!” 

Persephone made it to the dark and bustling main street of the underworld with only minutes to spare. The train had been monstrously busy, so she had flown, and now her hair was back to sticking up all over, much to her dismay. She sighed once as she touched down, and turned the corner. 

Tower 1 of Underworld Corp. came into view, and the weight of everything that had happened yesterday hit her like a truck. Her chest hurt, and her eyes stung, suddenly gasping for air. She had been so caught up in being late, that she didn’t realize how hard today was going to be. How on earth would she survive if she ran into Hades today? Or Minthe? She never wanted to see that river nymph again. 

She had no idea what to say to Hades. No idea if she could say anything. She took several deep breaths, and let the cool intake of air steady and center her. It was not time for another mental break. She needed this, especially if she chose to leave TGOEM. Despite what Hades thought of her, that conviction hadn’t changed. This internship was her only way out. She wouldn’t let an awkward misunderstanding jeopardize that. 

She squared her shoulders, and walked up to the front desk and gave her name. The assistant, a kind nymph named Krystal, gave her instructions on where to go to get set up and handed her a brand new intern badge and all her new paperwork. She headed toward the elevator, focusing not on the horrible flashes of memory from last night, but on her sharp intake of breath, her own heart beat, and the sounds of normal, average work bustling around her. 

Just get through today, she thought to herself, and you can worry about the rest later. 

As long as she didn’t see Hades, everything would be fine. 

***

A pounding knock on the door startled Hades awake, launching him into a roaring headache. 

“Gods.” He groaned, clutching his head. He was lying on something hard and cold, his head and back aching fiercely. 

The pounding persisted, like a sledgehammer to his skull. He cracked open an eye, and realized he was on the cold floor of his office. The decanter of whiskey sat empty next to him. For a moment, he tried to recall how he’d ended up here. Then, all of last night’s memories ran through his mind in slow motion, and he wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and continue to sulk on the floor. 

“Oh, Kore,” he whispered, “What have I done?” He certainly hadn’t fixed anything last night after the altercation with Minthe. Instead, he had poured another glass of whiskey while he anguished over what to say to make things better. Then he poured another and another. He didn’t remember much after that. Just flashes of hurt and despair. 

Another series of cacophonous knocks. 

“Go away,” he muttered to himself .

“Hades, I know you’re in there, and ready or not, I’m coming in. I don’t have time for this today,” Hecate called out. 

A moment later, a glow came from the door handle, unlocking it, though he didn’t remember locking it in the first place. Hecate strode in, wearing another one of her crisp, embroidered blazers and sharp heels. The look on her face was stern and irritated until she took in the horrendous sight of him. Her face softened and fell.   
“Hades.” She sighed.

She paused for a moment, then walked over and held out her hand. He took it, and she helped him up off the floor. They walked the few feet over to his black leather couch and sat down. “Tell me what happened last night,” Hecate said. 

It took longer than he would have liked to tell her everything, with how dry and horse his voice seemed to be, and his stuttering didn’t help things. Hecate’s brow furrowed more and more until Hades was worried her face would crack. He put his head in his hands and let out a deep breath. “I’ve made a mess of things, Hecate. I’m a mess.”

Her arm draped over his shoulders. “Things certainly do look messy, old friend, but you did the right thing, ending it with Minthe. You don’t want someone with that kind of spiteful contempt in your life.” 

“But it’s not just me that’s been hurt,” Hades said. He looked up at her from his hands. “I don’t know what was between Persephone and I, but whatever it was, I’m sure it’s been destroyed. You should have seen her face Hecate. I’m sure her resignation will be on your desk soon.” He was sure their relationship was ruined. _‘You always ruin everything good in your life,’_ his inner voice whispered to him. _‘This shouldn’t be a surprise to you.’_

He didn’t even have the energy to combat those thoughts. He felt so tired. Couldn’t he just go home and wallow in his misery?

“Wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Hecate said. A ghost of a smile crossed her face. 

Hades was confused. “What’s that’s supposed to mean.” He asked. 

“It means that a certain spring goddess arrived on time for her shift this morning, though she did look a bit flustered. She’s in the library as we speak,” Hecate replied. 

The smallest blossom of hope began to grow in his heart. “She’s—she’s here?”

“Yes, she’s here Hades. All is not lost. Now, would you please get cleaned up and ready for your first meeting? I can’t put it off any longer.” Hecate stood, and brushed herself off, as if ridding herself of the heavy conversation. 

“Alright,” he agreed. Time to be a King for a while. Perhaps, if Persephone was here, the matter would keep for a while longer. Maybe he could make this better. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.” 

*****

For Persephone’s first real day on the job, it wasn’t too terrible. In fact, all previous drama aside, it was actually pretty interesting. It turns out, being a shade coordinator in the library meant she got an up close and personal view at a lot of mortal life and what the people went through; something she was quite fascinated by. 

Growing up in the mortal realm rather than the busyness and fast paced city life of Olympus, Persephone had witnessed more than most of mortal everyday life. She watched them live, grow, toil, and even die. Now she could glimpse into mortal afterlife. While she still wasn’t sure how qualified she was for this position, she was certainly interested in learning more. 

She spent the morning with Hermes as her guide, filling her in on how things ran and just generally showing her the ropes. His usual chipper attitude made it a fun experience, despite Thanatos dropping in for a moment and giving her the stink eye. He taught her exactly how the scroll organization system worked. Shades were tasked with looking through a scroll for information so that coordinators didn’t have to wade through yards of unnecessary details of mortal life. It was compiled into a concise list of choices and actions they made in life that she could then organize and prepare. 

Getting this snapshot of mortal life was incredible and fascinating, she thought. She was always in awe of their ability to persevere, despite difficult circumstances. Certainly, there were some weeds or bad people that needed “pruning”, as it were, but it was so beautiful to see someone’s entire life and choices laid out on a piece of parchment. Hermes showed her the key points to make note of, and what Hades really looked for when he passed judgement on a shade, giving them their assignment for the afterlife. It was her job to prepare the scrolls for him before trial. Though it was all so overwhelming, she hoped she could do them justice. 

After an informative but exhausting morning, it was time for lunch. Hermes stretched his arms over his head, his ponytail sticking up with wavy pieces haloed around his head, making his suit look even more funny on him. She told him as much, warranting an eye roll from her friend. She giggled as he elbowed her. 

“Hey, want to grab some lunch? There’s this kick ass falafel joint just outside tower 1” he asked. “I’ll buy.”

She thought about it, and shook her head. “I’m okay, actually. I kind of want to look over my notes and make sure I’ve got all this down.” She smiled and shrugged. She really did want to make sure she was a competent intern, but she’d be lying if she said it was the only reason. But she didn’t tell Hermes that. He didn’t need to know that the thought of running into their boss right now made her stomach twist. 

Hermes tilted his head. “You sure? You’re pretty friggin’ smart. I think you’ll do just fine.” She nodded with a rueful smile. “Okay, but I’m bringing you something back.”

“Thanks Hermes,” she said.   
He waved and began to head out to the hall. A hall that framed a very tall, very blue and enchanting king in a freshly pressed suit. And he was walking her way. 

“Umm, Hermes, on second thought, I’m coming with you!” she called out, scrambling to grab her coat and bag. She hooked her arm in his, not daring to look up as they passed Hades, despite Hermes’ polite hello.


	9. A Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, it’s been a while. Corona virus has had me working 80 hour weeks for a long while now, and it’s been killer on creativity, time, and rest. But I finally had some time, so I hope you enjoy. Sorry for any typos or mistakes, it’s not proof read.
> 
> All characters are Rachel’s of Lore Olympus, and any similarities of plot are coincidental. I’m just a fan. You know the drill.

Hades made it through his final meeting that afternoon, his head pounding. He had barely been able to focus on anything. If he had to read through one more business plan or listen to another department’s excuses for not meeting their ROI goals, someone’s head was going to roll. 

All he wanted to do was fix things with Persephone. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. He had wanted to end things with Minthe because of the joy the goddess of spring had brought him, that he didn’t know he could feel, and all he’d done was brought her pain. He couldn’t leave things as they were. 

Though she had arrived at work,which had given him hope. Talking to her had proven difficult. She was clearly avoiding him. He deserved it, he knew. But it still hurt him. When he tried to visit her in the library at lunch, she had smoothly used Hermes as a buffer and slipped past him. The idiot had enthusiastically greeted him as Persephone ducked away and past him, quickly loading into the elevator. He didn’t even have a chance.

By the time he made it out of the boardroom, it was far too late. She was gone for the day. He didn’t even know when her next shift was. He thought about asking Hecate, but waiting till her next shift did not appeal to him. This was too important. He had to talk to her tonight. Needed to see her. 

Without thinking about it too much, he got into his car, and pulled out onto the road, heading for Olympus. What would he say? He started to run through apologies. Explanations. He and Minthe were through, what you saw was a trick. Kore, I want you.

Suddenly, a panicked thought ran through his head. He didn’t have anything to give her. Surely for an apology, you needed a gift. But what could he give her?  
A purse was what Minthe would ask for. What she would demand. Persephone wasn’t that shallow. He recalled their conversation that day he gave her a tour of the underworld, when she had refused the phone. Nothing like that then. 

All he could think about was flowers and life when He was around her. But the last thing a goddess of spring needs is flowers. She had given him a pomelia she made herself, for fate’s sake. 

That sparked an idea. He pulled over to the side of the road, so he could concentrate. It had been a while since he’d made something this delicate. He hoped she would like it. 

***

By the time Persephone got home, she was exhausted. It had been a long but surprisingly rewarding day, despite the hiccup in the middle. Hermes had intercepted most of the interaction between her and Hades, completely oblivious to any uncomfortable charge in the air. She had looked back as the stepped in the elevator, and caught his eyes for just a moment. They looked...sad. She tried to smile just a bit, so that he didn’t hate her. She just needed time, that was all. Time to gather her thoughts. 

She was granted no time for gathering the rest of the afternoon, as after lunch she was thrust headlong into her duties. She had her hands full sorting through everything she was given, marking the scrolls correctly, and preparing them for trial all while listening to the bad synth pop music Hermes played through his portable stereo. He let her do most of the work herself this time, only stepping in to correct any oversights. He flew in and out from time to time, doing other various tasks that were probably his normal job. 

At the end of the day, Hecate came in to check her progress. While Persephone felt flustered, she was met with praise for a job well done. “Honestly, I’m impressed!” She said as she looked over the scrolls that had been prepared for the following days trials. “These are impeccable notes. Incredibly organized. I knew this would be a good fit for you.”

“Thank you,” Persephone had blushed at the compliment. “I certainly tried my best.”

“On your next shift, you will work with Thanatos and a few others in the library, as Hermes has his duties in Olympus to tend to, but I thought that you might appreciate a friendly face on your first shift.” She mentioned. Persephone hadn’t been too keen on working with Thanatos, but she knew it would’ve happened eventually. 

“Yup, and then we can get you started on inputting the data into the computer.” Hecate added. At that Persephone gulped. She and computers were not friends.

When she made it through the front door or the apartment she shared with Artemis, she heaved a sigh of relief, and was ready to head straight for her room, when she smelled something delicious. 

“Persephone?” She heard Artemis call out tentatively.

“It’s me.” She replied, walking into the kitchen. Artemis had been busy. The Kitchen looked like a cooking storm had hit, pans and utensils everywhere. The table looked as if Artemis had begun to set out place settings, but she had gotten distracted and it lay unfinished. Artemis was in her casual attire with an apron around her waist. An extremely unusual sight. She had her hair pulled back and was pulling something from the oven. “What smells so good?”

“I made myself a roast, but I thought you might be hungry, so there are roasted vegetables along with some flatbread.” Artemis said.

“Thank you.” Persephone softened. Truthfully, she had been dreading coming home almost as much as running into the King of the Underworld. Knowing that she and Artemis needed to talk didn’t make it any easier. 

“I thought maybe we could talk over dinner. Just the two of us.” She fiddled with her apron, smoothing out the fabric while looking at Persephone hopefully. 

“I’ll help set the table.” Persephone said. She smiled at her roommate before grabbing a dish and heading towards the dining room.

Dinner was surprisingly delicious. Persephone hadn’t lived with Artemis very long, but she hadn’t seen her so much cooking, besides the basics. She had seemed happy to let Persephone take the lead when it came to meal time, with the occasional meat dish she would make for herself. But the meal before was seasoned perfectly. The potatoes tasted of rosemary and sea salt, and the brussel sprouts and carrots had a delicious lemon and olive oil drizzle. She took a bite of brussel sprout and sighed. 

“This is amazing Artemis. I’m sorry to say I didn’t know you could cook so well.” 

“I can’t, honestly. Just a few things. I don’t do this very often, so don’t feel bad.” She replied. “Mostly I stick to basics, or my brother cooks. This is his recipe, actually.” 

“I see.” Don’t tell me that. I was enjoying my meal. “I really appreciate it.” Persephone said, taking another bite. This one didn’t seem to taste as good. 

“I just thought that you might appreciate someone else cooking, after the day you had yesterday.” Artemis said.

Yes. That. 

Persephone nodded. Unsure of what to say, she just continued to eat her vegetables, starting on the carrots next. 

“Persephone, what happened yesterday. Why were you so upset?” 

She took a few moments to collect her thoughts. What could she tell her?

“Yesterday was just really rough. I had a lot on my plate and it got really overwhelming. There was a misunderstanding, and I really embarrassed myself, which is why I was crying. That’s all, now that I look back, it’s pretty stupid.” 

“What kind of misunderstanding?” Artemis pressed. 

“It’s nothing, really. I’ll be alright. Honestly.” Persephone smiled, hoping that it would mollify the goddess of the hunt. She should have known better.

Artemis sighed. “Persephone, I know we haven’t been rooming together long, and I certainly don’t want to feel like a warden to you. I’m not going to hover like Demeter, but I truly wish you would be a bit more honest with me. I just want to be your friend. I know I’m not the easiest to get along with, or the best friend, but I just wish you could be honest with me.” 

That softened her a little. Persephone was so used to trying to do things on her own. Though mama had always been there, there really hadn’t been anyone to talk to. She certainly couldn’t talk to her about things like this. Anything she told the nymphs would just be repeated to mama, so she kept most of her thoughts to herself. She had always dealt with her feelings and troubles herself. Obviously, it hadn’t been going well as of late. Maybe she could talk to Artemis. Maybe, she would understand. 

“I’m sorry Artemis. I’m not very good at this either. This is the first time I’ve been on my own, at all. You know how my mom is. I was never allowed to do anything by myself, or work things out on my own. I’m trying to figure things out as I go, and I’m learning relationships with other beings are pretty hard.” Persephone pushed a potato around on her plate.

“You’ve got that right.” Artemis sighed. After a pause, she asked, “Can I ask what it was that set you off of my brother so badly?”

Ice water down her back wouldn’t have been more startling. She dropped her fork onto her plate with a clatter. “Umm..” She mumbled, frozen.

“See? That's what I’m talking about. This closing up. Especially around my brother. I know he can be annoying, I just don’t get why you can’t stand him so much.”

“Aertemis, I--”

A knock on the door interrupted Artemis’ questioning. For a moment, terror rendered Persephone as immobile as stone. It quickly dissipated though, remembering that if it were Apollo, he wouldn’t need to knock. He had a key, which was knowledge that sickened her. 

Confused, Artemis stood and walked through the living room to answer the door. Persephone took the distraction to try and form a coherent response. While she might have been willing to try to talk to Artemis about yesterday, she certainly wasn’t remotely ready to talk about Apollo. 

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of her roommate's screams. What in Gaia’s name was going on? “What are YOU doing here?!”

“I-need to speak to Persephone.” An all too familiar voice responded. 

This could not be happening right now. When was she going to catch a break?

She walked slowly towards the front room, her mind whirling with too many thoughts to understand the response Artemis was yelling. 

Hades stood at the door of her apartment. He was dressed in a sleek button up, and black trousers. His hands were tucked into the pockets, and he was fidgeting with something. His hair was messy, as if he’d been raking his hands through it earlier. A button at the collar of his shirt was undone, and a faint white scar peeked from his throat. The sleek lines were tight from clenching his jaw together as he took the insults flowing from the goddess of the hunt. It hurt Persephone how beautiful he was. Why did he have to be so beautiful? 

His eyes caught hers. “Persephone, can I… can we please talk?” He asked softly with a sadness in his voice. Artemis whipped her head back to look at her, eyes narrowed.

No no no. She didn’t want to do this yet. Her throat closed up, and her heart felt like it was pounding out of her chest. But somehow, amidst the chaos whirling through her mind, she managed to keep her expression neutral. “Sure. We can talk.” She went to grab a cardigan from the hall closet, and then slipped past him out the door, and began to walk down the driveway.

She knew that after this, she would have to let him go. No matter that she thought she might be in love with him, He didn’t care for her like that. He had a girlfriend. And she didn’t want to come between them. He may have flirted with her, but it was clear after last night who came first. He was probably coming to apologize for what she saw. 

Better to put an end to this now, before she hurt herself any more. Who was she fooling anyway? She was just some B grade goddess. She wasn’t ever going to be someone who could deserve him. She could never have something like this. She was meant to be of service to others, that’s all. 

They walked a small ways away from the apartment, each footstep sounding like a crack or thunder in her ears. Once they reached the end of the drive, near Hades car, he turned and cleared his throat. “Persephone, I wanted to talk to you about...about yesterday.” 

She didn’t want to. He was going to tell her he chose Minthe. That they had fixed whatever had been broken enough that he’d flirted with her. That she stood no chance, and the boundaries she had set herself would stay. Her rules that she had set only a few days ago mocked her in her head. This was what you wanted, wasn’t it? 

“Oh don’t worry about it!” She smiled widely and waved him off, her eyes shut tight so he couldn’t see the lie in them. “Honestly I totally didn’t mean to interrupt anything important.” She turned her head, and looked towards the house. Artemis was watching.

“See that’s the thing,” Hades continued. “What you saw—”

She turned towards him again, meeting his eyes and willing herself to keep composure. “Hades, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me at all. I’m glad things are working out with you two.” 

An emotion she couldn’t name flashed across his face. “Of course I’m worried about you. Kore, and that’s not what we—“

She didn’t want to hear him finish the sentence. “I was just shocked is all. I obviously misunderstood the appointment time with your assistant, so it’s my fault that I interrupted time with your girlfriend.” 

Hades looked confused. “My assistant? What are you talking about?” He reached his hand out, as if to cup her face. She knew the moment he touched her, she would be undone. So she took a step back. 

“I’m happy for you both, truly. I can assure you I won’t be in the way. What we discussed the other day won’t be a problem. Just some flirting that got out of hand. It’s not like we were meant for each other or anything.” She tried to laugh, but it came out as a cough, hollow and empty.

 _Stop talking._ Her inner voice warned as her heart broke. 

“Wh-what?” He said softly. His hand froze in place. She couldn’t bear to meet his eyes now.

“I just mean that I know this wasn’t anything special for you. I get it. I’m a goddess of spring, you’re the King of the Underworld, and that’s a recipe for disaster.” _Shut your mouth Persephone_ , the voice whispered. 

Hades looked so sad. She couldn’t figure out why. Did he feel bad for her? Was the fake smile on her face not enough to convince him she was fine? 

“Is that what you think?” He asked. His voice taking on a hard edge to it. She couldn’t tell if it was anger...or something else. 

“It’s okay, Hades. Really, I’m fine. As your friend, I’m happy for you. But I’ve got to go back inside.” She didn’t think this act would hold much longer. She had to go. She started to back up and headed towards the apartment.

“Persephone, Please, just hold on a second.” She didn’t turn back. She didn’t see the pomelia pendant made from white sapphires set in rose gold that he had pulled from his pocket. Didn’t see him fall back against his car as if the wind had been knocked out of him. And she didn’t see Hades drop his head into hands, before getting into his car and driving off.

But someone else did.


	10. Imposter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!!Trigger warning!!!: manipulator and abuser tactics present in this episode.

Artemis didn’t understand people most days, but it felt like she might never get a grip on Persephone. For someone who wants to join The Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood, she sure spent a lot of time with the opposite sex. Hanging out with Hermes, Eros, and especially, it seemed, the King of the Underworld. How horrifying. 

If she was honest, Artemis was pretty pissed about the whole thing. Hurt even. She had stuck her neck out for this girl, risking Demeter’s wrath, giving her a place to stay here in Olympus. Yes, it wasn’t all out of charity, as Artemis had been excited by the prospect of a new member and potential friend. She didn’t have a lot of those. And while Persephone was incredibly nice, she had broken Artemis’ one rule several times, and had openly admitted having a crush on the Unseen One. 

She thought back to what her brother had warned her about , that Persephone wasn’t taking this seriously enough. She certainly didn’t think Persephone was going to go AWOL, but she thought Persephone perhaps didn’t understand the ramifications of her “harmless” flirting. She was supposed to be setting herself apart from that kind of behavior!

Persephone had promised her she wasn’t going to act on these absurd feelings, and just the other day swore to Hestia that she wouldn’t be alone with a man without a chaperone again. But within days, Hades shows back up, and she’s out the door to talk alone with him! 

Artemis felt like a disgruntled parent, pacing back and forth in her foyer. How could Persephone not see how dangerous this was? How could she not see what those Kings were like? She had tried to warn her, countless times. But nothing was working. What was going on between those two?

Artemis peered out the front window, hoping she couldn’t be seen. The two were at the far end of the drive, but her keen eyesight could still see well enough as the sun set. She took a moment to take in their body language and expressions, wondering what they were saying. As she watched, she prepared to step in and defend her roommate from the nefarious King, or have some form of proof that he was every bit the sleaze his brother was. But the more she watched, the more confused she became. 

It was clear that there was something wrong between the two. Neither of them looked very comfortable. She could see Persephone as she looked off and toward the apartment. She looked sad. Her shoulders shook. 

Artemis had expected an entirely different aura from Hades. Arrogant, stand-offish, even scary would be in line with what she knew about him. But he was soft, pleading. Gentle. In fact, Persephone did most of the talking. If she looked sad, then he looked devastated. Heartbroken, even. Why would he look like that?

As he reached for her, Artemis caught a look on his face that made her gasp in horror. Oh no. 

Persephone turned away, and Hades watched her start back toward the house. In turn, Artemis watched the King of the Underworld. And what she saw brought her to the realization that it was much worse than she thought. She had seen it enough in other Gods; in humans in the mortal realm. Hades was in love.

Fresh hell. 

She turned away before Persephone got too close. What in all Olympus was going on here? 

Persephone stormed back into the house, and took off straight for her room. “What was that all about?” Artemis started.

Persephone didn’t even turn around. “I’m sorry, Artemis. I’m not feeling all that well.” Her door shut with a jolt. 

Artemis walked over to the couch, and plopped down, staring off into nothing as she tried to process this. She knew Persephone had admitted a crush on Hades, but she couldn’t know that Hades was head over heels for her, could she?

The door to her apartment opened yet again, and Artemis prepared to pounce. She pulled a knife from her end table, ready to throw. 

“Whoa! Watch it will you?” Apollo shouted, hands over his head. “It’s just me!” 

“Apollo, yeesh, can you at least knock before you come barging into my house?” Artemis grumbled. She plopped back down onto the couch with her head down. “I’m having a crisis, here, can’t you just go home?”

“Let me guess. It’s about Persephone and Hades?” He asked. 

Her head shot up. “How did you know?” 

He gestured with his chin toward the door. “Because I just saw them together outside. They were blocking the driveway.” He walked over and sat next to his sister. He looked at her under hooded eyes. “I told you.”

“Told me what.” She said hotly. 

Apollo looked toward the spring goddess’s room. “Is she in there?” He asked. 

“Yes.” She replied with a sigh.

“Then can we talk outside for a sec?” Apollo asked. 

The two siblings walked out to the front balcony. Artemis leaned over the railing, her stomach in knots. She didn’t want to discuss this, but didn’t know what to do. “You told me what, Apollo?”

He shrugged, hands in his pockets. “That Persephone doesn’t take her maiden duties seriously. That I don’t think she’s the goody two shoes you think she is.”

“You don’t know her like I do Apollo. You’re just mad because she doesn’t seem to like you that much.” Artemis retorted. 

“Look, Persephone seems like a nice girl, and she probably is, but I don’t want my sister to get taken advantage of. Being a maiden and spending a lot of time with Old Man Winter doesn’t mix.” Apollo leaned back on the railing next to her. 

“I’ll talk to her. She just doesn’t understand. She grew up in the mortal realm, Apollo. All of this is new to her. She’s just too friendly for her own good. She probably doesn’t even see it herself, But I saw Hades’ face when they were talking. He has major feelings for her. That’s more dangerous than she knows. I just don’t want my friend to get taken advantage of. You know how the Kings are.” 

At her words, Apollo’s eyes darkened. He looked at his sister for a moment, as if reading her face, then turned around and leaned in close, as if to share a secret . “Are you sure she’s the one getting taken advantage of?” Apollo asked quietly. 

She turned to look at her brother, eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean that she doesn’t quite add up, does she? She comes in here, and the first day, causes a scene. Persephone ends up meeting Hades, gets herself in the tabloids, front page, causing a scandal. Now, suddenly she’s got a job at Underworld Corp, along with a fancy new coat, Hades following her around like a stray dog.”

“The tabloid was not her fault! That whole night was thanks to Eros. And she doesn’t have the coat anymore.” Artemis countered. But when you put it all together like that, it didn’t sound so good. Was there truth to what he was saying?

“And then there’s that name change. Bringer of death? There has got to be a reason a flower goddess goes from being called ‘maiden’ to ‘death bringer’. Has she even told you what warranted the change?” Apollo’s smug tone let on that he already knew the answer.

“No.” Artemis ground out. “But I know she will tell me what happened on her own time. I know she will” She would...wouldn’t she?

Apollo kept going. “Look, all that aside, I’ve seen them together. Not just once, but multiple times now. Did I tell you that I caught them together the other night? They were all over each other in the car. I tried to be a gentleman and tell her to come inside, but she wouldn’t listen. Hades even sent me away. And now this. Honestly, I think she led him on, so she could get what she wanted. And you know what? It’s probably not the first time she’s done it.”

Artemis bristled. “That’s ridiculous! You don't know that.” Then what he said sunk in. “Are you serious about finding them in the car? Are you lying?”

“Why would I lie to you? I’m your brother.” He answered. Artemis felt all twisted inside. 

“You don’t know her.” Artemis insisted again. “I’m sure there's something else going on. I’ll just ask her about it myself.” 

Apollo stood up and glared intently at her, a look he gave when he wasn’t getting his way or thought she was being stupid. She hated that dumb face. “Look, I didn’t want to tell you this, but I think it’s best you know now. When she first got here, Persephone, well, let’s just say she came on to me.” 

Artemis stood up straight. “Excuse me?” 

“It was the day we watched that movie. That whole evening whenever you left the room, she was flirting heavily. I tried to shrug it off, but she just wouldn’t stop. That night, after you went to bed, she asked me to come to her room, and then she practically threw herself at me. I refused, and had to leave. I’m sure you’ve noticed that things have been tense between us. I’ve tried to be nothing but nice, even offering her a ride home from school, since she’s my sister’s friend. But ever since I refused her, she’s been incredibly unapproachable. At least to me.” Apollo shrugged, looking remorseful. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I knew you were excited to have a new member and friend.”

“Why would she even do something like that?” Artemis asked, angry now. This couldn’t be true, could it?

“I’ve talked to Hermes about it, and the poor girl was always so sheltered. They’re good friends, maybe too good. But Persephone was never allowed to leave or do anything without her mother’s say so. She was kept on a pretty tight leash. Perhaps she saw the maidenhood scholarship as a way out so she could get to Olympus.”

“So you think she’s using us? Using Hades? That’s pretty ridiculous.” Artemis scoffed. She paced back and forth on the deck for a while. Apollo simply watched her, not saying a word. 

Persephone was always so friendly. But it was true that since she got here, she had always been surrounded by boys. First with Hades, though it wasn’t her fault, really. But then she befriended Eros so quickly, something Artemis could never do. Then there was that time she caught her undressing in front of Hermes, acting like it wasn’t a big deal. 

Her behavior around Hades was strange, for sure. Talking until early morning, coming to the meeting wearing his coat. Then, there's the past 24 hours...

“She came home so upset yesterday.” Artemis hedged. “Eros carries her in, she was crying. When I asked her about it today, she wouldn’t tell me what happened, just that it was a misunderstanding.” 

“A misunderstanding at work?” Apollo asked. 

“Yeah, but she was crying so much. I don’t know what really happened. And then tonight, Hades shows up, and-” She paused. She looked at her brother. 

Apollo just raised his eyebrows at her. “She probably tried the same thing with him that she tried on me.”

“You can’t be right. She wouldn’t do that.” Artemis said, but now she was feeling unsure. Persephone was her friend, wasn’t she?

“Look, I just think we should talk to Hestia about it. Don’t you?” Apollo prodded. 

“I want to talk to Persephone first.” Artemis said, moving for the house.

Apollo stepped in front of her, blocking the door. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” He replied. “She needs you to like her Artemis. She wouldn’t admit to something that would hurt you.” 

Artemis pushed past her brother. “I don't care. I need to hear her side. This is all conjecture.” She wanted to believe in her friend, that there wasn’t any truth to what her brother was accusing her of. 

Artemis stormed in the house, and marched up to Persephone’s door. But before she pounded on the door, she stopped herself. Something in this just didn’t seem right. Persephone had been so timid that day they first met. And besides not being the most forthright, she had been nothing but kind. The least she could do was talk to her without getting angry first. She turned and glared at her brother standing a ways down the hall. “You stay out of this.”

He held his hands up in surrender. “I’ll stay over here.”

Artemis knocked softly on the door. “Persephone, I really need to talk to you. Please, it’s important.” 

No answer. She knocked again, this time a little louder. “Could you please come out? We have to talk still.” 

Still no answer. Now she was upset. “Persephone!” Artemis called loudly. She tried the door, and surprisingly, it was unlocked. Artemis pushed the door open, walking into Persephone’s room. 

She wasn’t there. 

Artemis sighed. Gone again? Were things really that bad between them? She walked over and sat on her bed, and put her head in her hands. 

“Hmmm, not here, huh?” Apollo said.

Artemis jolted, “I didn’t say you could come in here! She’ll kill me!” She jumped up toward her brother, to shove him out, but tripped over a large box in her haste. It rammed into her shin, hard. The box made a noise, something tonal and music like. That was weird. Persephone didn't play an instrument that she knew of. 

But Apollo pushed past her and opened the box, and pulled out an object wrapped in a towel. As he unwrapped it, his eyes turned golden. He turned and looked at Artemis with a smug look. 

“You still think Persephone is who she says she is?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know that canon wise, it went a little differently, but for my purposes, that argument she had with Apollo never happened, obviously. Also, I'm operating off the fact that lyres and harps tend to have a resonance chamber for tone, and it would indeed make a noise if hit. Lets just say for plots sake that his has one too.


End file.
